Groove HQ vs Hiver
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Groove HQ | Hiver |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $20/seat/mo | From $35/seat/mo |
| Best For | Small businesses needing simple email-based customer support | Organizations heavily invested in Gmail who primarily handle email support |
| Standout Feature | Collision detection to prevent duplicate responses | Native Gmail integration and shared mailbox management |
| Free Plan | ✗ | ✓ |
| G2 Rating | 4.5 | 4.6 |
Groove HQ and Hiver represent two different philosophies in customer support. Groove HQ offers a traditional helpdesk experience with robust ticketing, while Hiver transforms Gmail into a collaborative customer service platform.
With Groove HQ's G2 rating of 4.5 and Hiver's 4.6, both platforms have proven their worth, but serve distinctly different team structures and workflows.
Feature Comparison
Groove HQ excels with its knowledge base builder, advanced automation rules, and comprehensive reporting dashboard. Its ticket management system includes collision detection and smart assignment rules.
Hiver's strength lies in Gmail integration - shared inboxes, email templates, and collision detection work natively within Gmail. It includes SLA management and basic automation, but lacks advanced workflow customization.
Groove HQ offers live chat widgets and phone support integration, while Hiver focuses purely on email-based support with some chat capabilities through third-party integrations.
Pricing Comparison
Groove HQ starts at $16/agent/month for basic features, scaling to $56/agent/month for advanced automation and reporting. This per-agent model can become expensive for larger teams.
Hiver ranges from $15-$59/user/month, but includes more features in lower tiers. Their Gmail-native approach often requires fewer agents since email management is more efficient.
For a 10-person team, Groove HQ costs $160-$560/month while Hiver costs $150-$590/month, making pricing comparable despite different structures.
Groove HQ
Pros
- ✓ Simple, clean interface
- ✓ Good for small teams
- ✓ Affordable entry-level pricing
Cons
- ✗ Limited advanced features
- ✗ No modern messaging integrations
- ✗ Basic automation capabilities
Hiver
Pros
- ✓ Seamless Gmail integration
- ✓ Easy setup for Gmail users
- ✓ Good email management features
Cons
- ✗ Limited to Gmail ecosystem
- ✗ No modern messaging channels
- ✗ Expensive per-user pricing
Verdict
Choose Groove HQ if you need a dedicated helpdesk with advanced automation and don't mind the higher per-agent cost. Choose Hiver if your team already lives in Gmail and wants seamless email collaboration.
Choose Groove HQ if: You need a full-featured helpdesk with advanced automation, knowledge base, and multi-channel support capabilities.
Choose Hiver if: Your team uses Gmail heavily and wants to maintain email workflows while adding collaboration and SLA tracking.
For teams seeking a simpler alternative, Converge offers comprehensive customer communication at $49/month flat rate, eliminating per-agent costs entirely.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Groove HQ comparisons and all Hiver comparisons.